Clock calendar



April 7, 1925.

1,532,966 G. M. VAN DYKE CLOCK CALENDAR Filed March 25, 1924 lijven' 011. CVV. Mm////E mm #9J Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE- GERALD iviAsoN VAN DYKE, or TENTSIN, CniNA, AssIeNoa or ONE-HALF 'ro HUGH K. MACDOUGALL, or TIENTSIN, CHINA.

CLOCK CALENDAR.

Application filed March 25, 1924. Serial No. 701.764.

To all 1li/2.0m t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GERALD MAsoN VAN DYKE, a citizen of the United States, resid ing at Tientsin, China, have invented new and useful mprovements in Clock Calendars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a clock calendar andhas particular reference to a calendar anism, whereby the date and hour shownv on the calendar will be accurately and positively presented as the referred to hand lof the clock is actuated by the clock mechanism.

Other objects are to provide a novel clock calendar that is economical to manufacture, lstrong, durable, positive in operation, readily applicable to standard types of clocks and a device which is absolutely self-adjusting, self-correcting, entirely fool-proof andrequiring but a minimum amount of careand attention. v

Other objects and advantages, will be apparent during the course ofthe following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed tol designate like parts throughoiiltvthe same,

, Figure l is a front elevation ofthe face of a clock showing myvcalendar ldevice applied to the hour hand of the clock,

Figure 2 is aside elevation of the Calendar with an arrangement of the days of the week and dates of the month displayed thereon, i

Figure 3 is anr enlarged transverse vertical-section through the calendar and showing the same attached to the hour hand of the clock,

Figure l is a side elevation of the calendar disclosing another array of dates on the face thereof, f

Figure 5 is a detail view of a clai'nping means that' can be readily substituted for the hour hand as a base on which the calendar rests, and

Figure Gis al fragmentary detail view showing the teeth of the gear wheel and cog wheel in mesh.

In the accompanying drawings vwherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my inventiolnthe numeral 7 designates the facevof a clock which is equipped with the usual minute hand 8 and hour handit). It will be noted, for the purpose Of illustration, that the end of the hour hand has been shown a further distance away from the numeral 5 on the clock than it would ordinarily appear in practice.

The calendar per se includes a disc 10 which is preferably madeof thin metal and has arranged on its face a plurality of nu merals to indicate the various dates of the month. This disc will be known as the date disc and is free to rotate on the axle or pintle 11 which is secured vto the hour hand 9.

Spaced from the disc 10 and disposed rearwardly thereof and fixed to the axle or pintle 11, l have provided a second disc 12 which vhas displayed thereon, adjacent its periphery and from left to right, the days of the week. This vdisc 12-will be known as the day disc and has mounted in the rear thereof, spaced therefrom and free to turn with the axle 11, a wheel 13 equipped with ninety-eight teeth which teeth are adapted to mesh with the teeth 14 of ,a small cog wheel 15 which is fixed to a second pintle 16 penetrating the hour hand 9, which pintle is positioned iu. proximity to the fixed eud of the hour hand.

Connected to the pintle 16 is a small weight 1G of less than one-half ounce which is preferably made of thin metal and functions to gravitate constantly downward. As the hour hand moves to the right (clockwise) the action of the weight moving downwardlycauses the wheel-13 to revolve to the right, carrying with it an indicator 17 fixed thereto,` which indicator travels in absolute co-ordination `with the movement of the hour hand of the calendar, thus indicating to the observer at all times the davy of the week and date of the month.

vAs disclosed to advantage in Figure 5, it will be noted that I have shown a rectangular metal strip 18 having formed integral therewith end clips 19 and 2O respectively, and provided with aA central opening 2l. This strip 1S can bc readily placed ou the llt) lll)

hour hand and will serve as a base upon which to place the calendar with the pintle 11 penetrating the opening 21 and secured to the strip. This construction will serve to avoid a piercing of the hour hand by the pintle 11.

1n adjusting my novel calendar to designate the proper date and day of the week it is only necessary to place the finger of the operator against the face of the calendar and turn the date wheel either to the right or to the left so that the desired date appearing on the calendar will be in alignment with the proper day of the week ou the day wheel 12. After this adjustment hasl been made it is then only necessary to place the operator-s :finger against the periphery of the wheel 13 and turn the same either to the right or to the vleft until the indicatorl 1T comes to the space which indicates A. M. or l). El., of the correct date, as the case may be. The indicator thus positioned will travel, due to the weight 16 assuming a perpendicular position, and thus the large wheel 1?; will move the indicator 1.7 to its proper point on the face of the calendar. rlhus the calendar is absoliiitely self-adjusting when set within six hours of the correct time, if the hand on the clock, at this time, is correct.

A similar adjustment is made on the tirst of each month, but should the clock lose or gain time no adjustment of the calendar is necessary for the correction is then made by correcting the time of the clock, for the calendar adjusts itself. In adjustingthe calendar on the lirst of each month, it is only necessary to revolve the date wheel 10 until the numeral 1 thereon, appears opposite the indicator, and the device will then continue registeringfor another month with absolute accuracy.

lt will be noted that since the large wheel 13 has ninety-eight teeth thereon that the small wheel which has seven teeth thereon will make two rcvolutioils in twenty-foul.' hours and fourteen revolutions in seven days, thus causing the wheel 13 to revolve once in seven days or one-seventh of a revolution .in one day. Accordingly, as long as the clock runs, the weight 11 will set up the necessary action or motion by its gravitation and will cause the indicator te correctly register the dates of the month and days of the weer; for a period of onel month or any portion of that period.

1n practise, I propose to make the wheel 10 of a very thin and light metal, preferably luass, and cover the rim adjacent 'its periphery with celluloid on which the days of the week can be displayed. This rim of celluloid covering serves to bring the surface of the rim in alignment with the sur face of the date wheel 1 0, thus making an even surface for the face of the calendar.

The date wheel referred to consists of a circular thin brass plate and is adapted to lit against t'he wheel 13 with the friction existing between the disc 10 and the disc Ill 'prevents the disc from moving out of position when the hour hand is travelling about the face of the clock, or as shown .here a hub 22 can be provided on the pintle 1l, which will serve the same purpose.

It is to be observed that all the wheels constituting this calendar are exceedingly thin so that in practice the calendar will be approximately three-sixteenths of an inch thick, thus allowing` the calendar to worl: very easily on the face of the hour hand and between the hour hand and the minute hand of the average clock. The parts as shown have been greatly exaggerated in size for the purpose of clarity. In the construction of new clocks special attention can be made to the construction whereby sutlicient space can be provided between the hour hand and minute hand for the application of this type of calendar.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be noted that l have devised a very novel calendar arrai'igement which is economical to manufacture and one which is adapted to register entirely by the action and force of gravitation so that every single movement of any of its parts is alone caused or propelled by the force of gravitation.

1t is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. ln combination with a clock, a calen dar operated by the clock mechanism and mounted to rotate about the 'tace ol" the clock, for the purpose specilied.

1n combination with Ya clock, a calendar connected to the hour hand of the clock and adapted to be actuated by gravity controlled means carried by the calendar for the purpose specified.

3. 1n combination with a clock, a calendar attached to the hour hand of the clock7 and means carried by the calendar for registering thereon lixed periods of time corresponding to the movement of the hand of the clock.

ln combination with a clock, a calendar attached to the hour hand of the clock, and gravity actuated means connected to the calendar for registering thereon lixed periods of time corresponding to the movement of the hand of the clock..

5. ln a device of the character described,

lll

lll() Cil the combination with a clock, of a calendar attached to the hand of the clock, indicating means carried by the calendar, and gravity actuated means connected to the calendar for actuating the indicating means whereby fixed periods of time will be registered corresponding to theinovement of the hour hand of the clock.

G. In combination with a clock a calendar attached to the clocl; said calendar including a plurality of r'otary elements, certain ot' which have indicia thereon7 an indicator carried by one of said rotary elements, and gravity actuating means cooperating with the calendar for registering thereon fixed periods of time corresponding to the rotation of the hand about the 'face of the clock.

'7. In combination with a clock, a calenfdar `attached to the hour hand of the clock and including a plurality of rotary elements, certain of which have indicia thereon, an indicator carried by one of said rotary elements and-positioned adjacent the periphery thereof,v and gravity actuating means cooperating with the calendar for registering thereon fixed periods of time corresponding to the rotation of the hour hand aboutthe face of the clock.

8. In combination with a clock, a calendar attached to the hour hand of the clock and including a plurality of rotary elements, certain of which have indi-cia thereon, an indicator carried by one of said rotary elements and positioned adjacent the periphery thereof, va cog wheel meshing with the teeth of the indicator bearing element, and a weight carried by the cog wheel for actuating the latter and imparting rotary movement to the indicator carrying elementE for the purpose specied.

9. In combination -with a clock, a calendar, means for securing the calendar to the hour hand of the clock, said calendar embodying in its construction two indicia bearing discs, a. gear wheel positioned rearwardly o said discs, an indicator carried by said gear wheel, a cog wheel carried by the clock hand and having its teeth in mesh with the teeth of the gear wheel, `and gravity actuating means secured to the cog wheelfor causing the indicator to register with the indicia on the calendar corresponding to the movement ol the hour hand about the race of the clock.

10. In combination with the hour hand of a clock, of a calendar, means for securing the calendar to the hour hand of the clock, said calendar including a date disc and a day disc, with the day disc positioned rearwardly of the date disc, both of said discs being positioned on the calendar securing means, a gear positioned rearwardly oi' said discs, an indicator carried by said gear wheel, a -cog wheel carried by the clock a hand and having its teeth in mesh with the teeth of the gear wheel, and a weight secured to the cog wheel and adapted to cooperate .with the cog wheel and gear wheel for causing the indicator to register with the indicia on the date and day discs corresponding to the movement of the hour hand about the face of the clock.

l1. In combination with the hour hand of a clock, a calendar, a substantially rectangular metal strip secured to the hour hand, means for connecting the calendar to the strip, said calendar including a date disc and a day disc, with the day disc positionedl rearwardly of the date disc, both of said discs being positioned on the calendar securing means, a gear positioned rearwardly of said discs, an indicator carried by said gear wheel, a cog wheel carried by the clock hand and having its teeth in mesh with the teeth of the gear wheel, and a weight secured to the cog wheel and adapted to cooperate with the cog wheel and gear wheel for causing the indicator to register with the indicia on the date and day discs corresponding to the movement of the hour hand about the face or' the clock.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

GERALD Mason VAN DYKE. 

